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Leon Mirsky
Times obituary
Professor Leon Mirsky, who, until his retirement last September, was Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield, died suddenly on December 1, shortly before his 65th birthday.
Educated at King's College, London, Mirsky spent most of his professional career in Sheffield: he was appointed to an assistant lectureship in 1945, and his contributions to scholarship and research were recognized by successive promotions, culminating in the award of a personal chair in 1971.
At a time of ever-increasing specialization, Mirsky was remarkable for achieving distinction in three fields: the theory of numbers, linear algebra, and combinatorial mathematics. In over 80 research papers, he demonstrated a rare insight that enabled him to separate essentials from inessentials and to perceive significant connections between apparently unrelated ideas.
His first textbook, on linear algebra, was a pioneering work when it was published in 1955; a second edition and a recent reissue show how well it has stood the test of time. A father book, Transversal Theory, has for more than ten years been the standard work of reference in this area of combinatorics. The success of the two books bears witness to Mirsky's gift for exposition; his hallmark was elegance combined with clarity.
This talent was also an ingredient in the mastery he displayed in the lecture theater, though it was his infectious delight in his subject, which was mainly responsible for turning every lecture—for undergraduates or for professional mathematicians—into a long-remembered occasion. He was particularly eager to share ideas at the research level and firmly believed that research should always be a cooperative rather than competitive venture.
Mirsky's intellectual enthusiasm was by no means confined to mathematics. His knowledge of literature, history, and philosophy was broad and, in some areas, almost professional. Many of his former colleagues will miss the stimulus of conversations with him on these and other subjects.
He is survived by his widow, Dr. Aileen Guilding, herself a distinguished biblical scholar.
Professor Leon Mirsky, who, until his retirement last September, was Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of Sheffield, died suddenly on December 1, shortly before his 65th birthday.
Educated at King's College, London, Mirsky spent most of his professional career in Sheffield: he was appointed to an assistant lectureship in 1945, and his contributions to scholarship and research were recognized by successive promotions, culminating in the award of a personal chair in 1971.
At a time of ever-increasing specialization, Mirsky was remarkable for achieving distinction in three fields: the theory of numbers, linear algebra, and combinatorial mathematics. In over 80 research papers, he demonstrated a rare insight that enabled him to separate essentials from inessentials and to perceive significant connections between apparently unrelated ideas.
His first textbook, on linear algebra, was a pioneering work when it was published in 1955; a second edition and a recent reissue show how well it has stood the test of time. A father book, Transversal Theory, has for more than ten years been the standard work of reference in this area of combinatorics. The success of the two books bears witness to Mirsky's gift for exposition; his hallmark was elegance combined with clarity.
This talent was also an ingredient in the mastery he displayed in the lecture theater, though it was his infectious delight in his subject, which was mainly responsible for turning every lecture—for undergraduates or for professional mathematicians—into a long-remembered occasion. He was particularly eager to share ideas at the research level and firmly believed that research should always be a cooperative rather than competitive venture.
Mirsky's intellectual enthusiasm was by no means confined to mathematics. His knowledge of literature, history, and philosophy was broad and, in some areas, almost professional. Many of his former colleagues will miss the stimulus of conversations with him on these and other subjects.
He is survived by his widow, Dr. Aileen Guilding, herself a distinguished biblical scholar.
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